Dead Soul Tribe, what do you think about when you hear that name? Does it conjure up visions of an entire tribe of dead souls coming to take you away? It may. I thought that it was a creative name for a group myself, not much else ... until I listened to the music.

Devon Graves (AKA Buddy Lackey) is the enormously talented lead singer that built this astonishing progressive rock unit. He produced the music, wrote the lyrics, and played every instrument you could possibly imagine. He really didn't need a group to complete this project. It's a blessing that he was joined by others, as I am sure exhaustion would have set in eventually for him. By the time this disc was through my head was spinning. I can't tell you all of the groups I thought of while listening to this ... Marillion and Dream Theater came to mind. When a group provokes thoughts of other great groups, I take that as a sign that I am listening to something real special. And this self-titled debut is surely that and more.

The key to impressing my ears is a group's capacity to keep me guessing as to what's coming next, this group kept me on the edge of my seat wondering at all times. When you hear the first song "Powertrip," which has a real hard edge and distorted vocals, it may have you wondering what you are in for next, well, just wait until you hear the stunning tracks "Haunted," "The Drowning Machine," which reminded of Ozzy and Black Sabbath, and "You." They all explode with sweeping powerful guitar riffs and quickly fall into a dream like abyss and then shock you back into a rocking reality just as quickly. They are all destined to become prog-rock classics; it's just a matter of time.

You will be so impressed with the sound of this band. You like prog-rock? You will love this album. The range of styles covered is simply mind boggling, it's like listening to a different group on every track ... it's amazing. The key to the band's sound is Devon's flexible voice; he can growl in the lower register or turn his voice into a beautiful instrument. In fact, he reminded me of James Labrie with his tremendous range. The sonics have to be near perfection for you to really appreciate and hear progressive rock as it should be, and this recording is on the cutting edge. The production is flawless and powerful, lending every song the necessary subtle nuances and bursts of energy needed to drive home the point of the lyrics that steer this musical juggernaut. They will rock your ass off and put you in a dream state all in one song.

Yes, it's groups like Dead Soul Tribe that is the future of progressive rock music. Chalk up another one for Inside Out America for moving up to the numero uno position for prog-rock labels. There is nobody else out there releasing a steady stream of top-notch music like they are. [Though the North American arm of InsideOut is now defunct ?ed. 08/09/2009]